Apparatus for compressing air.



No. 694,280. Patented Feb. 25, I902. S. P. HOWE 8:. S M. VAUCLAIN, 1R.

APPARATUS FOR CDMPRESSING AIR.

(Application filed Jan. 15, 1901.

{No Model.)

SAFETY VALVE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL P. HOWE AND SAMUEL M. VAUOLAIN, JR., OF ITHACA, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AIR.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,280, dated February 25, 1902. Application filed January 15, 1901. Serial No. 43,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUELP. HOWE and SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN, J12, citizens of the United States, residing at Ithaca, Tompkins county, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Air, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for compressing air, particularly as applied to steam or other engines used on locomotives, automobiles, or similar self-propelled vehicles. i

The object of our invention is to utilize the momentum of such a vehicle at times when it is coasting to compressair for any desired object, more particularly for forcing liquid fuel from a reservoir to a burner, using for this purpose the engine thereon in the manner to be hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of our invention, showing the arrangement of parts when it is applied to the steam-engines of an automobile, illustrating a connection to the fuel-tank of a steamboiler. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the mechanism for cutting off the system of piping, &c. from the engine-cylinder when the pressure in said cylinder reaches or exceeds a certain predetermined point.

In the following description of parts and their operation our invention is shown as applied to an automobile, although it will be understood that it may be used with similar ease and advantage in connection with any steam or other engine of a similar type employed on any self-propelled vehicle em ploying liquid fuel under pressure.

In the drawings, A A are the cylinders of the steam-engine, having a valve-chest common to both, there being a piston-rod a for each cylinder and a valve-rod a, this latter being connected to an eccentric on the main shaft by a Stevenson or other link-motion, by which the engine may be reversed. In communication with the steam-space of the valvechest is a pipe I), connected to another pipe I), in which is a stop-valve b (in the present instance of the needle type) and a check-valve h The valve b is controlled by an extended handle 1'), having the necessary stuffing-box where said handle enters it.

At any point in the pipe I as U, between the check-valve b and the stop-valve b may be placed an automatic cut-off valve of the form shown in Fig. 3. This is designed to operate when the air in the system has reached a predetermined pressure, at which pressure it automatically closes the passage through the pipe 19. It consists of a diaphragm held in the casing 0, having attached to it a valverod 0, constructed to fit a seat in the valve proper, c. This valve-rod has on it a spring 0 confined within'the easing O, holding the diaphragm, said spring being constructed to move the said rod off the seat in the valve 0 when the pressure in the section of pipe 0 has fallen sufficiently to allow the diaphragm to resume its normal position. An air-reservoir D is connected to the pipe I) by a branch pipe, there being also in this pipe I) a safetyvalve E and a drip-cock F, with a cup f. The safety-valve is used when it is not considered advisable to employ the automatic cut-off valve above described. As shown in Fig. 1, a second branch 9 is connected to the main air-pipe-b', and this has in it a controlling or stop valve 9 a cheek-valve g and a pressure gage g, the main pipe opening finally into the top of the reservoir for fuel used in heating the steam-boiler of the automobile.

In operation when the machine is descending a grade steam is turned off from the engines and the link-motion is put in position for reversing the latter. This places the valve so that air is drawn into the engine-cylinders through the exhaust, compressed by the piston, and delivered to the valvechest A. The valve b now'being open, this compressed air flows through the pipe 17', passing the cutoif valve 0 and the check-valve b and is stored in the reservoir D. This compressing action is continued untilthe pressure has risen in the pipe b, the reservoir D, and tank B to a point sufiicient to operate the cut-0E valve 0, when no more air is compressed, this point being indicated by the pressure-gage or by the blowing off of the safety-valve E, if the latter is used in place of the automatic cut- 0E valve. It will also be understood that even when running the automobile on the' level by skilful manipulation of the engine air can be alternately compressed and the machine again run up to speed. It is to be noted that should the steam be turned on the valve-chest while the valve b is open the cutofi valve will immediately act to cut off the air system from the dangerous effect of the high pressure. Should any moisture or condensed steam be carried over into the piping, this can be drained ofi through the drip-cock F into the attached cup f.

The check-valve b operates to prevent air from fiowin g back into the valve-chest in case the vehicle is moved without the valve 19 being closed, and the needle-valve g prevents air escaping through the fuel-reservoir when the latter is opened for the purpose of filling. It will be seen that this compressive action acts as a brake when the vehicle is descending a grade.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in automobiles, particularly of the locomobile, mobile, and similar types, that the boiler is heated by burning liquid hydrocarbon under pressure, it being customary at present to supply the necessary pressure,.which is between forty to fifty pounds to the square inch, by a very laborious use of a hand-pump, air being compressed by this means in the fuel-reservoir.

By our improved invention the necessity of this is done away with, as by opening the valve g air will pass from the reservoir D through the check-valve g to the upper portion of the fuel-reservoir, the liquid thus being supplied to the burner underthe boiler at the necessary pressure.

We claim as our invention The herein-described improvement in apparatus for utilizing the operating parts of a steam-engine for compressing air for use in a system of which said engine forms a part, consisting of the combination with a steamengine and its valve-chest, of a storage-reservoir for compressed air, a liquid-fuel tank, a branch pipe connecting the tank and reservoir, a valve in said pipe for controlling communication between said tank and reservoir, a check-valve between said controllingvalve and reservoir, a main pipe connecting the valve-chest of the engine with the branch pipe, a valve for controlling communication between said main pipe and the valve-chest, and a check-valve in said main pipe between its controlling-valve and the junction between the rnain pipe and the branch pipe, whereby when the steam is shut ofi from the engine, the latter may operateto compress air and discharge the same through the main pipe into the reservoir and tank, or either of them, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SAMUEL P. HOWE. S. M. VAUOLAIN, J R.

Witnesses:

P. F. MCALLISTER, WARD DIX KARLIN. 

